Reds over Phillies, 10-3

Some of the highlights from Friday’s 10-3 Reds win over the Phillies:

Bronson Arroyo didn’t have a smooth top of the first inning — giving up two doubles and a walk. Raul Ibanez’s double drove in the game’s first run. Arroyo appeared to be just trying to locate strikes in the first inning. In the second inning, Arroyo seemed to throw a little harder with some more movement.

Arroyo’s final line: 2 IP, 1 ER, 2H, 1 BB, 0 K

“The first inning, you always feel like an alien out there for the first one – crazy,” Arroyo said. “Honestly, you don’t know where any pitches are going. You have no idea if you’ll bounce a changeup up there or paint it right on the black. In the second inning, I felt a little better. You start feeling like you’re in the pocket a little more.

“It was actually a good first inning. I will take that first inning over an eight-pitch inning based on the fact you need some pounding on the arm. It’s impossible to get it any other way than out there with the adrenaline going. I will be a little sore tomorrow, which is nice.”

“I was trying to throw strikes, that’s it,” Arroyo continued. “Regardless of where they hit it, you just try to get it over the dish. You don’t want to go out there, no matter how established you are in the game, and go 3-1 and walk a bunch of guys. If they’re hitting it around the yard, at least you’re throwing it over the plate. It might not be that way during the season.”

Lefty Matt Maloney followed Arroyo and I missed much of it. His line was two innings with two earned runs and three hits allowed. Maloney gave up Pablo Ozuna’s leadoff homer in the fourth.

Daryl Thompson followed and pitched two scoreless innings with one hit. Thompson, who is battling for the fifth spot, looked pretty sharp.

Offensively, the Reds jumped Phillies starter Andrew Carpenter, who faced six batters without recording an out in the first inning before getting yanked. Ten Reds batted in the inning.

Joey Votto was 2-for-2 with a first-inning RBI single and a second-inning solo homer the opposite way to the left field corner.

It was also a good game for left field candidate Jonny Gomes, who was 2-for-3 with two doubles and a RBI.

Late left field replacement Darnell McDonald made a nice diving play towards the line to end the game. It was the play of the game.

It was a well-played game overall for the Reds, which collected 10 hits and made no errors.

“We got some good pitching today, really good pitching,” manager Dusty Baker said. “And we got some timely hitting and played good defense.”

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